Suction cleaner



July 16, 1935. c. H. TAYLOR SUCTION CLEANER Filed May 18, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 0/2 arias H T a lai- July 16, 1935. an. TAYLO R SUCTION CLEANER Filed May 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ck a r/es H Taylor ATTO RNEY Patented July 16, 1935 UNITED STATES SUCTION CLEANER Charles H. Ta ylor, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application May 18, 1934, Serial No. 726,268

3Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in'general and particularly to new and-novel im-- provements in suction cleaner casing. More particularly the invention comprises an improved removable bottom plate for the suction cham her which forms the cleaner nozzle and the air passageway from the nozzle to the fan chamber.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved suction cleaner casing. It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved removable bottom plate for a suction cleaner casing. A further object is the provision of a removable bottom platefor the air passageway leading to the fan chamber from the .nozzle, the bottom plate incorporating in its construction surface-contacting lips of the nozzle mouth. Still another object is the provision of surface-contacting means for a cleaner nozzle which are so designed as to prevent the accumulation of "foreign matter within the nozzle. These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to, which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed, and in which the same reference character 'refers to the same parts in the various views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a modern suction. cleaner embodying the invention with certain parts broken away; a

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the cleaner shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a partial section through the nozzle upon the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top view of the casing bottom plate removed from the cleaner, certain parts being broken away;

Figure 5 is a ure 4; I

Figure 6 is a section upon the line 6-6 of Figur 4; q a

Figure 7 is a view of the metallic elements which combine to form the bottom plate.

Themodern suction cleaner includes both suction-creating means and agitating means. Such a cleaner also includes a nozzle which houses the agitating means and from which cleaning air passes by an air passageway on its way to the suction-creating means. The nozzle is spaced above the surface covering undergoing cleaning and the covering is lifted by nozzle suction, in the cleaning operation, upwardly and into contact with the surface-contacting mouth of the nozzle, and also, therefore, into contact with the driven agitator positioned in the nozzle. The agitator is usually section upon the line 5-5 of Figdriven'by apower-transmitting belt which extends from the nozzle thru the air passageway leading from the nozzle to the fan chamber to the rotating motor shaft. In order to insure ease of removal of the agitator from the nozzle as well as case of repair of the driving belt, and. also to form a removable part which can be displaced that dusting tools may be connected directly to the suction-creating means, the cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention is formed with a removable bottom plate.

This bottom plate underlies the walls of the nozzle proper of the cleaner casing and extends rearwardly under the air passageway, suitable seals being provided to prevent air leakage. 'In the preferred embodiment. this removable bottom plate is so constructed that by the unfastening of a single latch member the entire air passageway and nozzle is exposed when the machine is inverted. With the plate so removed the removal of the agitator is a simple operation, as is the replacement of the driving belt, or the connection of dusting tools.

Referring again to thedrawings, and to Figures 1, 2 and 3 in particular, a modern-suction cleaner is shown in which the body of the cleaner is'seen to comprise a maincasing including a nozzle I, a fan chamber 2, an air passageway 3 between the nozzle and the fan chamber, and an exhaust outlet 4. This casing is movably supported upon spaced frontwheels 5, 5 and upon spaced rear wheels 6, 6, height-adjusting means 1 being provided for the latter.

A motor casing 8 is carried by the main casing V of the cleaner immediately above the fan chamber 2 and houses an unshown driving motor, the

extended shaft 9 of which passes downwardly through the fan chamber and into the air passageway 3. Within fan chamber 2 motor shaft 9 carries the suction-creating fan l0, and therebelow within the air'passageway 3 it is provided with a pulley ll.

At the rear end of the cleaner casing and at- 1 tached directly to the exhaust outlet 4 by manually operable means I2 is the dust bag l3 adapted to receive the dirt-laden air and to remove therefrom the suspended matter permitting the air to escape to the surrounding atmosphere.

Within the nozzle I and rotatively mounted upon its through supporting shaft H, which may be supported by any suitable means on the nozzle l, is the rotary agitator l5 which includes rigid beating elements l6 and flexible brush elements l1. the agitator I5 is provided with a portion of reduced diameter which functions as a pulley and which seats the driving belt 18. vBelt l8 extends rearwardly from the nozzle, through the air passageway 3, and is connected-to the driving pulley H.

As in the usual cleaner construction a handle I9 is provided which is pivoted to the main casing of the machine and provides means by. which the Substantially centrally of its length 3 operator can exert a propelling force. There is also provided a furniture guard 20 which encircles the nozzle to afford protecting means for articles of furniture etc. which may be contacted by the cleaner in its operation.

In the suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention, a removable base or bottom plate is provided for the air passageway 3 and the nozzle I. As is clearly seen-in Figures 1 and 2 the air passageway 3 leading from the nozzle l to the eye of the fan chamber 2 is formed by side walls 2| which depend from the bottom of the fan chamber and extend forwardly to merge with the rear walls 22 of the nozzle proper. Walls 2| and 22 form wheel pockets 23 at the rear corners of the nozzle casing I and it is within these pockets that the front wheels 5, 5 are positioned. The edges of the bottom plate according to the invention conform to the contours of the front, side and rear walls of the nozzle I, and of the walls 2| of the air passageway. The plate or base is open at its forward portion to provide a mouth defined by the surface-contacting front and rear lips 24 and 25 which underlie the front and rear nozzle walls. The plate, however, completely closes the passageway 3, as indicated at 25. A peripheral flange 21 defines marginal boundaries of the base plate and lies along the outside of the nozzle and air passageway walls. As is clearly seen in Figure 1, the wall 21 along the lip 24 is turned back upon itself to provide an overhanging shoulder which seats upon a forwardly protrud ing ledge formed on the front'wall of the nozzle.

On the top of the lip 24 a vertical lip projects into contact with the inside of the front wall and with the help of the shoulder which is positionedon the, opposite side of the lip, definitely positions the plate relative to the front wall of the nozzle. The relationship is such that the front lip 24 cannot be downwardly displaced with the bottom plate in its normal position, it being necessary to pivot the entire plate about the ledge on the nozzle wall to make separation possible.

Cooperating with the aforementioned lip, shoulder and ledge to secure the plate to the cleaner casing is the rearwardly extending lug 28 at the back of the pate which is normally secured in place by a manually operable spring-pressed detent 29 carried by the casing. Immediately inside the marginal -fiange or wall 21 the base plate is provided with an air seal 30 which contacts the lower edge of the walls of the air passageway and of the nozzle.

As is clearly seen in the drawings the nozzle mouth-forming portion of the removable bottom plate, the front and rear sides of which are constituted by the surface-contacting lips 24 and 25, is divided substantially midway of its length by a transverse connection 3| between the lips 24 and 25. Connection 3| is so placed-that when the bottom plate is on the casing the connection is positioned immediately under the pulley on the agitator for the purpose of preventing the contact of the'driving belt with the surface covering undergoing cleaning.

Referring to Figures 4 to 7, inclusive, in particular, the base plate is disclosed as formed in a definite manner of two metallic stampings; The main stamping, which includes the surfacecontacting lips, the peripheral wall and the bottom wall of the air passageway, is one piece. The second and smaller stamping is shaped to overlie the nozzle-mouth-forming portion of the main stamping and is indicated by the reference character 35. Stamping 35 includes elongated sides 24a and 25a which overlie the surface-contacting lips 24 and 25, and at the four corners of the stamping raised downwardly and inwardly sloping portions 36 are provided which function, with the assembly position within the nozzle, to prevent the collection of foreign matter and litter for such matter as collects thereon slides inwardly into the mouth properand into the air stream. The stamping 35 is provided with a transverse portion 3| a which overlies the pulleyprotector 3| and there is also provided side and rear flanges 31 which extend adjacent the peripheral flange 21.

In the assembled relationship of the bottom plate the stamping 35 is positioned upon the main stamping and is secured thereto thru the inner edges of the lips 24 and 25 and of the end connections therebetween being pressed inwardly and crimped thereover. Because the outside edges of the portions 24a and 25a are higher than the inside the resulting inner surfaces of the lips 24 and 25 slope inwardly and downwardly and function along their lengths as do the raised portions 36 at their ends in the matter of preventing the collection of foreign matter.

The general direction of the passageway-clos ing portion 26 of the bottom plate is rearwardly and slightly upwardly to a point immediately below the driving pulley II at which point the angle of inclination greatly increases, as indicated at 26a in Figure 1. sults in foreign particles, such as sand and gravel, being deflected upwardly thru the eye of the fan chamber upon coming into contact therewith.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a casing forming the side walls of a nozzle and an air passageway leading therefrom, and a removable base plate closing the open side of said air passageway and forming the surface-contacting portions of the mouth of said nozzle, said plate being formed with an overhanging shoulder to overlie a ledge on the front wall of said casing, said casing being provided with a manually operable latch to clamp the plate to itself at the end of said passageway, said plate being formed with a marginal groove opposite said side walls, and an air seal in said groove.

2. The construction defined by claim 1 in which theupper sides of the portions of said plate at the nozzle mouth are sloped downwardly and inwardly.

3am a suction cleaner, a casing fomung the side walls of a nozzle and an air passageway leading therefrom, and a removable base plate closing the open side of said air passageway and forming the surface-contacting portions of the mouth of said nozzle, said plate being formed with a marginal flange lying adjacent saidside walls and with a marginal rim defining the nozzle mouth opening, an insert overlying said surfacecontacting portions and which is higher around its outer edges than around its inner, the said marginal rim being pressed down upon said insert to form downwardly and inwardly sloping surfaces adjacentthe nozzle mouth opening.

' CHARLES H. TAYLOR.

This relationship re- 

